Junior high school teacher and former Arizona State Senator Ann Day

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Junior high school teacher and former Arizona State Senator Ann Day.

Many talented classroom teachers also earn success in the political realm. An excellent example of this is Ann Day, a public school teacher from Arizona who also served in her State Senate.

Ann was born Eleanor Ann Day in El Paso, Texas, on August 10, 1938. She was the daughter of a pioneering ranching family. Ann grew up on the ranch that was established by her grandfather in 1880. Ann was the sister of Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Arizona State University in 1970. She completed the requirements for her Master’s degree in Counseling and Guidance from the University of Arizona in 1972.

After earning her degrees, Ann taught in junior high schools in the Alhambra School District in Phoenix. She also accepted assignments as a substitute teacher in the Tucson Unified School District in Tucson. Ann also worked as a marriage and family therapist for the Pima County Conciliation Court (1972 to 1982).

From 1990 to 2000, Ann served in the Arizona State Senate. She was elected on the Republican ticket. While in office, the former teacher served as Majority Whip. While in office, Ann was a member of the Judiciary Committee; the Commerce, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee; and the Rules Committee. Later she served on the Pima County Board of Supervisors (2000 to 2012). In addition, Ann served on the Arizona Industrial Commission.

As a politician, the former teacher had a reputation for being politically moderate. She was a staunch advocate for the rights of cancer patients to clinical trials and for reforms in the HMO industry. She is also credited with helping to bring semi-pro soccer to Tucson.

In her spare time, Ann was involved with the community with organizations such as Tucson Junior League, the Arizona Historical Society, and the State Liquor Board.

Sadly, this Chalkboard Champion was killed in an automobile accident near Tucson on May 7, 2016. The accident was triggered by a drunk driver. Anne was 77 years old.

To learn more about Ann Day, read her obituary at Find a Grave.

Marianne Kusaka, teacher and former Mayor of Kauai

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Marianne Kusaka, elementary school teacher and former Mayor of the County of Kauai.

Many fine educators serve their communities as local leaders. One of these is Marianne Kusaka, an elementary school teacher who was also elected Mayor of the County of Kauai in the state of Hawaii.

Marianne was born in Kamuela on the Big Island of Hawaii on September 11, 1935. When she was a youngster, her family in the isolated village of Hana on the Island of Maui. Marianne was raised there.

After she graduated from high school, Marianne attended Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu. She transferred to the University of Northern Colorado. There she earned her degree to become an elementary school teacher.

In 1964, Marianne relocated to the island of Kauai. Since then, she has devoted 33 years of her life as a professional educator, teaching at numerous elementary schools on the island. One of her students at Kapaa Elementary School was Bernard Carvalho, Jr., who later became the mayor of Kauai.

“It is such an honor to live here in this special place,” Marianne expressed in a 2015 interview. “I am honored to have my former students who called me Mrs. Kusaka, now call me Aunty Maryanne — such a warm feeling of respect and aloha — I love it!” she continued. “In some cases, I have become part of their family having taught three generations,” she concluded.

Marianne was still teaching when, in 1994, she was elected mayor of Kauai. While in office, the indefatigable educator launched herself into community beautification projects. Her first project was the clean-up of a beach that had been littered during a hurricane two years prior. She also worked towards refurbishing camp grounds, neighborhood parks, and jogging paths. She also focused attention on increasing tourism in the area.

In 2004, the former teacher retired from politics. But she continued to serve her community on the Board of Directors of the Kauai Museum. In addition, she has been instrumental in staging the area’s Festival of Lights. The celebration honors Hokule‘a, the Hawaiian sailing canoe. The festival features the creations from recycled materials by students from Kauai and Kapaa High Schools.

To read more about this amazing educator, read the full 2015 interview published by the newspaper The Garden Island.

California’s Brett Benson: Exemplary educator, US veteran, and community leader

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California’s Chalkboard Champion Brett Benson: Exemplary educator, veteran, and community leader.

Many fine educators also happen to be leaders in their community. One of these was Brett Benson, a teacher, military veteran, and community leader from Chino Hills, California.

Brett was an exemplary teacher in the Chino Valley School District for 32 years. He retired in 2010. During his lengthy career as an educator, Brett worked with students at every grade level from kindergarten to grade 12, except for third grade. He was one of several educators who established his district’s Gifted and Talented Education program. He also inaugurated an independent study program within his district. “It’s a life-saving program,” Brett once declared. “Many kids are there for medical purposes, others are self-motivated to graduate early, and still others are a square peg when all the holes are round,” he continued.

After his retirement, Brett donated three years to working with troubled teens on his city’s Youth Accountability Board. He also served on a citizens oversight committee for school facilities bonds.

As if all that wasn’t enough, Brett served on the Chino Hills Day at the Fair Committee, the San Bernardino County Senior Affairs Commission, and the Hope for the Hills organization, a non-profit which sponsors community improvement projects, park clean-ups, and a local food bank. Brett’s most recent project was to serve as a charter member and treasurer for the 55+ Club. The Club helped fund and build a local monument to honor all US servicemen who have served or are currently serving in all branches of the military. Brett himself served in the US Army during the VietNam era.

For his exemplary work in the classroom, Brett was inducted into the Chino Valley School District Hall of Fame in 2019. He was named a Volunteer of the Month for the City of Chino Hills in 2008. This Chalkboard Champion passed way on Monday, June 22, 2020. He was 72 years old.

To read more about Brett, see this story published in the Chino Valley Champion.

Jessica Davis named Minnesota’s 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year

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Educator Jessica Davis, a math and computer science teacher from St. Paul, Minnesota, has been named her state’s 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year.

Accolades are due to educator Jessica Davis, a math and computer science teacher at South St. Paul Secondary School in St. Paul, Minnesota. She’s been named her state’s 2019-2020 Teacher of the Year.

The honored educator confesses that teaching was not her first career choice. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology, with a minor in Chemistry. She considered going to medical school, but soon realized teaching was her calling. “I’m good at navigating school, and I can help people,” she revealed. That’s when she decided to obtain a Master’s degree in Teaching and her teaching credential, both from Hamline University.

Jessica accepted her first teaching position at St. Paul’s Harding High School in 2006. She transferred to South St. Paul, where she has taught since 2009.  Today she teaches math and computer science to junior and seniors. She is also coaches the school’s math team.

Jessica also serves as the advisor of several student organizations on campus. These include the African American Student Organization, Sexuality and Gender Alliance, Comunidad De Latinos Unidos, and Women’s Society. She believes these organizations encourage students to see their potential. “Representation matters,” Jessica asserts. “It’s important to see yourself in who’s at the front of the classroom, in your literature, in your writings. It’s important to see yourself doing things that are important, that are giving back to the community,” she continues. “It is important for our students to see that they have a place in this community, and until they see those faces also doing it, it’s hard for them to imagine themselves in that spot.”

Read more about Jessica at this link by Education Minnesota.

Science educator Lisa Niver at the Enkereri School in Kenya

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Science educator Lisa Niver with students from the Enkereri Primary School on the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Photo by Matt Payne. See more about Payne at https://instagram.com/mattpaynetravelphotography

Though many teachers dream of visiting schools on other continents, science educator Lisa Niver has managed to accomplish quite a bit of this. Lisa is pictured above visiting a school located on the Maasai Mara in Kenya. “I was showing the children photos of animals we had seen on our safari as well as photos I took of them in their classroom,” explained Lisa. “I hope to visit Enkereri Primary School again someday!” she said.

The Enkereri Primary School is one of nine schools in the Maasai Mara. This unique school provides a digital literacy program for the students which features e-readers loaded with textbooks and literature. To learn more about the school at Maasai Mara, visit this website at Sanctuary Retreats.

Lisa is a former junior high school science educator from Los Angeles, California. She is well-known in science teacher circles for her instructional strategies that emphasize the use of technology in the classroom. She’s also noted for using students’ real world connections to explore their passions and to work towards solving today’s most complex issues. Lisa developed a successful summer science camp for students and created a science-based website entitled Science Isn’t Scary. In 2009, Lisa founded the Los Angeles Science Teachers Network (LASTN), a professional development network that by May, 2012, involved over 70 teachers and 40 schools. The effort was praised by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In addition to her career as a professional educator, Lisa is also a sought-after motivational speaker, travel agent, and travel writer. Lisa has traveled to over 99 countries, and has been recognized as one of the top five female travel bloggers. In addition, she is the Adventure Correspondent for The Jet Set, the first travel-based TV Talk show. To learn more about unique travel experiences, check out Lisa’s fabulous website at We Said Go Travel.

Lisa has published many articles in online and offline magazines, including National Geographic, The Huffington Post, The Guardian, and The Jewish Journal. She was a 2012 nominee for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. In 2018, she was nominated in three categories of the Southern California Journalism Awards: Science/Technology Reporting; Travel Reporting; and Personality Profile. Impressively, this month she was nominated for the award once again in five categories, including Online Journalist of the Year.

Way to go, Lisa!